Cell Phones and Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is a behavior dangerous to drivers, passengers, and non-occupants alike. Distraction is a specific type of inattention that occurs when drivers divert their attention from the driving task to focus on some other activity instead. Of those people killed in distraction-affected crashes, 408 occurred in crashes in which at least one of the drivers was using a cell phone (13% of fatalities in distraction-affected crashes) at the time of the crash. Use of a cell phone includes talking/listening to a cell phone, dialing/texting a cell phone, or other cell-phone-related activities. In keeping with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's distraction plan (Overview of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Driver Distraction Program, April 2010, DOT HS 811 299), the agency continues to refine collection of information about the role of distracted driving in police-reported crashes. This book examines data gathered on specific distracting activities to support the development of safety countermeasures and to conduct improved data analysis.